Wellington: New Zealand will be without two of their most potent fast bowlers, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, when they take on a rampant India in the third T20I at Hnry Stadium on Tuesday.
Trailing 2-0, New Zealand must win the match to keep the series alive.
Henry, who bowled only two overs in the second match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, one of them a maiden, is unavailable for the rest of the series to manage his workload ahead of the other formats. Ferguson, meanwhile, will sit out the match in Wellington.
Neither bowler completed his allotted overs in the previous match. Henry had a calf complaint, while Ferguson also left the field as a precaution. Their absence leaves New Zealand relying on Adam Milne and Blair Tickner, who are available for the remainder of the series, along with Kyle Jamieson, who will feature in Wellington before playing a Ford Trophy match to prepare for the Test series.
India, by contrast, have barely put a foot wrong so far, despite having just one training session before the series opener in Christchurch. Sharper execution with the bat has helped them chase down a record 226 and a tricky target of 181.
India have also benefited from some generous fielding and bowling by New Zealand. However, the visitors will want veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to improve his performance after conceding 99 runs in just eight overs in the series while taking only one wicket.
Wellington, however, will present a different challenge. Hnry Stadium, also known as the ‘Cake Tin’, is a multi-sport venue that is usually windier. With a drop-in pitch and square boundaries of only around 60 metres, India’s bowlers will have to adjust their plans accordingly.
With Ishan Kishan yet to recover fully from a low-grade right adductor strain, teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set for another opportunity at number three. India are therefore expected to retain the same playing XI combination as in the previous match.
According to CricViz, India head into the third T20I with both momentum and the numbers firmly in their favour. India have won 21 of their 33 T20Is against New Zealand, lost 11 and tied one. They have won nine of their 14 T20I matches in New Zealand.
Left-handed batter Tilak Varma has emerged as India’s go-to finisher. He averages 51.6 in T20Is while chasing, compared with 39.7 when batting first. India have won all 12 T20Is in which he has remained unbeaten, while all 26 of his not-out innings in T20 cricket have ended in victories.
Since the start of 2025, Varma has scored 1,282 T20I runs in 52 matches at an average of 41.4 and a strike rate of 141.7. New Zealand’s biggest weapon could be skipper Mitchell Santner, who claimed four wickets in the previous match.
India averaged 58.2 against finger spinners in 2025, losing a wicket every 39 balls. However, that average has fallen to 27.3 in 2026, with a wicket falling every 18 balls.
Key Details:
When: October 27, 2026, at 12.30 pm
Where: Hnry Stadium, Wellington
Where to watch: The match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network channels, with live streaming available on the Sony LIV app and website.
Squads
India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kumar Kushagra.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Devon Conway (wk), Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Bevon Jacobs, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Fisher and Blair Tickner.
